Moonist facts for kids

Moonist (born January 28, 2011 – died June 21, 2016) was a famous American Quarter Horse. He was known for winning many important races called Grade 1 races. These included two races that helped him qualify for the big Champion of Champions event.

Moonist was named the best three-year-old Quarter Horse in 2014. This award came from the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). He also won the AQHA Champion aged horse award in 2015. In 2016, Moonist won all four races he entered. Sadly, he passed away that year due to a serious stomach problem called colic.

Moonist's Early Life and Training

Moonist was born in California. He was bred by a farm called Vessel Stallion Farm. His father was a horse named Separatist. His mother, Your First Moon, was also a champion racehorse.

In 2012, Moonist was sold as a young horse for $21,500. Ron Hartley bought him. John Cooper became his trainer. Moonist lived and raced at Los Alamitos Race Course. All his races happened there.

Moonist's Racing Journey

2013: Racing as a Two-Year-Old

Moonist did not win his first two races. But he got his first win on June 21, 2013. He then won the Governor's Cup Futurity Trial. After that, he came in second in the Governor's Cup Futurity.

He had some tough races, finishing fifth twice. But he bounced back and won the Golden State Juvenile Invitational. To end his two-year-old season, he won the Los Alamitos Juvenile Invitational. By the end of the year, he had won four races and placed second twice out of ten starts.

2014: Racing as a Three-Year-Old

Moonist started 2014 strong. He won the Los Alamitos Winter Derby Trial. However, he finished fourth in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby.

After that, Moonist went on an amazing winning streak. He won eight races in a row! These wins included the Grade 1 Golden State Derby. He also won two Grade 3 races: the El Primero Del Ano Derby and the Governors Cup Derby. Moonist won nine races in 2014. This was more than any other Quarter Horse that year. Because of his great performance, he was named the AQHA champion three-year-old.

2015: Racing as a Four-Year-Old

Moonist kept his winning streak going into 2015. He won the Los Alamitos Winter Championship Trial. This made his winning streak nine races in a row. He was expected to win the Los Alamitos Winter Championship. But another horse, Matabari, surprised everyone and won.

Moonist then won three races in a row. One of these was the Grade 3 Kaweah Bar Handicap. In July, he raced in the Grade 1 Vessels Maturity. He was the favorite to win. But he finished third after a bad start. His jockey, Cesar De Alba, said Moonist tried to beat the starting gates. This made him start slowly.

On July 25, Moonist won the Grade 1 Spencer L. Childers California Breeders Championship. He won by a lot, beating the second-place horse by two and a half lengths. His owner, Ron Hartley, said Moonist was a "once in a lifetime" horse. He said Moonist was special and always focused on running.

Moonist earned his tenth big win in the Go Man Go Handicap. This was his third Grade 1 victory. He became one of only 13 horses to win 10 stakes races at Los Alamitos. This win also gave him a spot in the Champion of Champions race. He then won another big race, the Grade 1 Robert L. Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship.

The Champion of Champions is a very important race for older Quarter Horses. In 2015, Moonist raced against Heza Dasha Fire, a top three-year-old. Heza Dasha Fire won the race. Moonist finished second. His trainer, John Cooper, said there was no shame in losing to such a fast horse.

Moonist ended 2015 with seven wins, two second-place finishes, and one third-place finish. He was named the AQHA champion aged horse of 2015.

2016: Racing as a Five-Year-Old

Moonist started 2016 by winning the Los Alamitos Winter Trial. He even beat Heza Dasha Fire, who was named the World Champion Quarter Horse of 2015. Moonist faced Heza Dasha Fire again in the Los Alamitos Winter Championship. Moonist won again.

After a short break, Moonist won another race easily in May. In June, he was the fastest horse in the Vessels Maturity Trials. His trainer said they just needed to keep him healthy.

Moonist's Passing

On June 21, Moonist started to feel sick. He quickly got worse. It was a serious case of colic, a painful stomach issue. Vets tried emergency surgery. But there was bleeding inside his body that they could not fix. To prevent more pain, Moonist was put to sleep that evening. This was only nine days after his last victory.

Many fans were very sad to hear the news. His owner, Ron Hartley, said he was touched by all the messages. People from all over the country shared their love for Moonist. Hartley said Moonist was like a family member. He believed there would never be another horse like him.

Moonist finished his racing career with 24 wins. This included 12 stakes victories. He earned a total of $878,468.

Moonist's Family Tree

Moonist's family tree shows some interesting connections. He was related to a famous horse named Beduino through both his father's and mother's sides. This means Beduino appears twice in the third generation of Moonist's family tree. He was also related to another famous horse, Dash For Cash.